Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon Coast today. (Lincoln City, OR) 2005-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2020)
in concert Violinist takes a bow Music fit for a King The Lincoln City Cultural Center will present its first-ever celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this Sunday, Jan. 19, with a performance by Eugene’s Inspirational Sounds Gospel Choir. Well known throughout Oregon for its energetic renditions of gospel music, the Inspirational Sounds Gospel Choir is often featured at Martin Luther King Day celebrations in Eugene and Portland. The choir seeks to promote the heritage of African-American gospel musical traditions, which are rooted in American music. Organization membership includes singers from Eugene, Springfield, Veneta and Corvallis. The group is a unique gospel choir because it includes a large percentage of non- African Americans but still retains a traditional Black gospel choir sound. The choir encourages audiences to become involved, joining them in clapping, shouting, singing and celebrating. Sunday’s program will include prayers and readings, including the “Lift Every Voice and Sing (Black National Anthem)” and “Can’t Nobody Turn Me Around,” led by the choir’s director, Kathy Vrzak. The master of ceremonies will be Toni Unfred. There will be instrumental music by My Band, featuring Darline Jackson. The theme of the program, which will also offer a biography of the civil rights leader, will be “Where There is Unity There is Strength.” The concert, presented as part of the 2019/20 Vocal Arts Series, will start at 2 pm in the auditorium of the cultural center at 540 NE Hwy. 101. Tickets, $15 for adults, $13 for seniors aged 60 and up, and $5 for kids aged 18 and under, are available at lincolncityculturalcenter.org or by calling 541-994-9994. Newport Symphony Orchestra at the Ocean will kick off its 2020 season this weekend with a pair of performances featuring special guest violinist Anthea Kreston. Music Director and Conductor Adam Flatt will lead the orchestra in performances of Handel’s “Water Music Suite No. 2” followed by Bach’s “Ricercare” arranged by Anton Webern. Then the Orchestra will perform “Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes” by Carl Maria von Weber, an orchestral work written by German composer Paul Hindemith in 1943. The grand finale will see Kreston step on stage to join the orchestra in a rendition of Felix Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64.” Kreston, a former member of the internationally renowned Artemis String Quartet, enjoys a robust concert schedule with regular appearances at major concert halls in Europe and the United States. She has received numerous awards for her chamber collaborations, including the grand prize at the Concert Artists Guild Competition and Europe’s Echo Award for recording. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and continues to tour with the Amelia Piano Trio. She has also toured with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project and has been recognized by Chamber Music America for her groundbreaking work with abuse survivors and people with AIDS. She holds a BA in women’s studies from Cleveland State University and a performance degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64,” is his last large orchestral work. It forms an important part of the violin repertoire and is one of the most popular and most frequently performed violin concertos in history. The Saturday, Jan. 18, performance will start at at 7:30 pm, with a pre- concert talk by Conductor Adam Flatt at 6:45 pm. Sunday’s matinée will start at 2 pm. Performances will take place at the Newport Performing Arts Center, 777 West Olive Street. Following each concert, the orchestra will host a special complimentary Wine Down, featuring select wines from the Flying Dutchman Winery of Otter Rock plus a delicious array of food items from JC Thriftway. Tickets, $27 and $42 plus fees and $10 for students, are on sale at the Newport Performing Arts Center box office, by calling 541-265-2787 or online at NewportSymphony. org. PHOTOGRAPHER: FELIX BROEDE Anthea Kreston Kreston made her solo debut at the oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • January 17, 2020 • 13
